Skip to content
NomezoNomezo

Spanish last names: 170+ popular Spanish surnames and their meanings

170 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The most common Spanish last names are García, Rodríguez and González, and most Spanish surnames began as a father's first name, a place, a trade or a nickname. A last name in Spanish is called an apellido, and Spaniards traditionally carry two: the father's first surname followed by the mother's first surname, so the son of Juan García López and María Pérez Ruiz is García Pérez.

This page lists 170+ real Spanish surnames with the meaning and origin of each: the most common names in Spain, more popular Spanish last names, -ez patronymics, place names, trades, nicknames, and the regional surnames of the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia. Many of them are also among the most common Hispanic and Latino last names in the Americas. Pronunciation tips are included where English speakers often stumble.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Etxeberria

    New house, from etxe and berri; say eh-cheh-BEH-rree-ah

  • Tapia

    Mud wall, for a home beside a rammed-earth wall

  • Tejedor

    Weaver, from tejer, to weave

  • Ortega

    From several villages of that name in Spain

  • Vega

    Fertile river meadow, for someone living on one

  • Bosch

    Wood or forest; say BOSK

Spanish surname lookup

Type any Spanish surname to see its accented spelling and how to say it, its rank in Spain and the US, what its ending or Basque parts mean, and the spellings to search in old records.

Try:

Want endless ideas? Try the last name generator and generate new names in one click.

Most common Spanish last names

The top surnames in Spain's population register, led by García. Most are patronymics that began as 'son of' a medieval first name.

  1. García Spain #1 US #6: Medieval first name, probably Basque-Navarrese, of unknown meaning; Spain's most common surname
  2. Rodríguez Spain #2 US #8: Son of Rodrigo, a Germanic name meaning famous ruler
  3. González Spain #3 US #13: Son of Gonzalo, a Visigothic name built on gund, battle
  4. Fernández Spain #4 US #134: Son of Fernando, from Germanic words for journey and daring
  5. López Spain #5 US #12: Son of Lope, from Latin lupus, wolf
  6. Martínez Spain #6 US #10: Son of Martín, a name honoring Mars, the Roman war god
  7. Sánchez Spain #7 US #25: Son of Sancho, from Latin sanctus, holy
  8. Pérez Spain #8 US #21: Son of Pedro, from Greek petros, rock
  9. Gómez Spain #9 US #49: Son of Gome, a Visigothic name meaning man
  10. Martín Spain #10 US #22: Taken straight from the first name, honoring Mars, the Roman war god
  11. Jiménez Spain #11 US #98: Son of Jimeno, a medieval Navarrese first name; say hee-MEH-nes
  12. Hernández Spain #12 US #11: Son of Hernando, an older form of Fernando
  13. Ruiz Spain #13 US #92: Son of Ruy, a short form of Rodrigo; say roo-EES
  14. Díaz Spain #14 US #52: Son of Diego, from the medieval Latin name Didacus
  15. Moreno Spain #15 US #124: Nickname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion
  16. Muñoz Spain #16 US #164: Son of Muño, a medieval Castilian first name; say moo-NYOHS
  17. Álvarez Spain #17 US #95: Son of Álvaro, a medieval Visigothic first name
  18. Romero Spain #18 US #113: Pilgrim, first for someone who had traveled to Rome
  19. Gutiérrez Spain #19 US #70: Son of Gutierre, a medieval Castilian name of Germanic origin
  20. Alonso Spain #20 US #1,169: From a short form of Alfonso, a royal Spanish first name
  21. Navarro Spain #22 US #321: For someone from Navarre, the old kingdom in the north

Spanish patronymic surnames ending in -ez

The -ez ending means 'son of', added to a medieval first name. These are some of the oldest and most widespread Spanish surnames.

  1. Domínguez Spain #23 US #260: Son of Domingo, from Latin Dominicus, belonging to the Lord
  2. Vázquez Spain #26 US #191: Son of Vasco, a medieval first name; say VAHS-kes
  3. Ramírez Spain #24 US #27: Son of Ramiro, a Visigothic name joining counsel and fame
  4. Suárez Spain #31 US #473: Son of Suero, a medieval Asturian and Leonese first name
  5. Núñez Spain #40 US #228: Son of Nuño, a medieval Castilian first name; say NOO-nyes
  6. Benítez Spain #75 US #631: Son of Benito, the Spanish form of Benedict, blessed
  7. Méndez Spain #53 US #155: Son of Mendo, a medieval Galician and Portuguese first name
  8. Velázquez US #501: Son of Velasco; also the surname of Spain's great Baroque painter
  9. Márquez Spain #58 US #291: Son of Marcos, the Spanish form of Mark
  10. Enríquez US #844: Son of Enrique, the Spanish form of Henry
  11. Ibáñez Spain #85 US #3,980: Son of Ibán, an old form of Juan; say ee-BAH-nyes
  12. Ordóñez US #1,774: Son of Ordoño, a name borne by kings of Asturias and León
  13. Bermúdez US #1,258: Son of Bermudo, a name of medieval kings of León
  14. Peláez: Son of Pelayo, the first king of Asturias
  15. Estévez US #2,910: Son of Esteban, the Spanish form of Stephen, crown
  16. Antúnez: Son of Antón, a medieval form of Antonio
  17. Íñiguez US #4,083: Son of Íñigo, from the Basque name Eneko; say EE-nyee-ges
  18. Téllez US #1,624: Son of Tello, a medieval Castilian first name

Spanish surnames from places

Toponymic surnames record where a family came from or lived: a kingdom, a city, a castle, a spring or a riverbank.

  1. Castillo Spain #41 US #94: For someone who lived by or worked at a castle
  2. Torres Spain #21 US #38: For a family living by a tower or towers
  3. Medina Spain #39 US #132: From towns whose Arabic name means city
  4. Toledo US #1,786: For someone from the old royal city of central Spain
  5. Guzmán US #150: From a village in Burgos; the line of a great noble house
  6. Aragón US #1,395: For someone from the kingdom in northeast Spain
  7. Zamora US #540: For someone from the walled city on the Duero River
  8. Valencia US #485: For someone from the city or kingdom on the east coast
  9. Córdoba: For someone from the Andalusian city, once a caliphate's capital
  10. Villanueva US #532: New town, for a family from a newly founded settlement
  11. Villalobos US #923: Town of the wolves, from a village in Zamora
  12. Iglesias Spain #44 US #3,344: Churches, for someone living by a church
  13. De la Fuente US #4,908: Of the spring, for a family living by one
  14. Del Río US #3,548: Of the river, for a family living on its banks
  15. Vega Spain #64 US #258: Fertile river meadow, for someone living on one
  16. Peña Spain #54 US #209: Rock or crag, for someone living near one; say PEH-nyah
  17. Serrano Spain #28 US #419: Highlander, someone from the sierra, the mountains
  18. Carrasco Spain #68 US #1,173: Holm oak, from carrasca, for a family living by the evergreen oaks
  19. Parra Spain #93 US #951: Grapevine or trellis, for a family living by one
  20. Robledo US #2,420: Oak wood, from roble, oak
  21. Escobar US #476: From escoba, broom plant, for a home by a patch of broom
  22. Tapia US #659: Mud wall, for a home beside a rammed-earth wall
  23. Paredes US #1,260: Walls, for someone living near a prominent wall
  24. Salcedo US #1,910: Willow grove, from Latin salix, willow
  25. Solís US #392: From a village in Asturias, from sol, sun; say soh-LEES

Occupational Spanish surnames

Medieval jobs that turned into family names, from the village forge to the royal hunt.

  1. Herrero Spain #83: Blacksmith, from hierro, iron
  2. Herrera Spain #51 US #131: Smithy or ironworks, for a family that worked at one
  3. Zapatero: Shoemaker, from zapato, shoe
  4. Molinero: Miller, the person who ran the village mill
  5. Pastor Spain #97 US #4,541: Shepherd, someone who tended sheep
  6. Vaquero: Cowherd; the same word gave English the cowboy term buckaroo
  7. Cabrero: Goatherd, from cabra, goat
  8. Escudero: Squire or shield-bearer, from escudo, shield
  9. Caballero Spain #69 US #1,193: Knight or horseman, from caballo, horse
  10. Guerrero Spain #47 US #240: Warrior or soldier, for a fighting man
  11. Montero Spain #78 US #2,000: Huntsman, especially a beater on a royal hunt
  12. Tejedor: Weaver, from tejer, to weave
  13. Cantero: Stonemason or quarryman who cut building stone
  14. Barbero: Barber, a medieval trade that included minor surgery
  15. Calderón US #415: Large cauldron, for a maker or seller of kettles
  16. Alcalde: Mayor or magistrate, from Arabic al-qadi, the judge
  17. Ballesteros US #3,469: Crossbowmen, for a crossbow maker or soldier
  18. Sastre: Tailor, someone who cut and sewed clothes
  19. Carretero: Cart maker or carter who hauled goods
  20. Correa US #902: Leather strap or belt, for a maker or seller of them

Spanish surnames from nicknames and traits

Descriptive surnames first given for hair color, character or a memorable trait.

  1. Rubio Spain #38 US #663: Blond, for someone with fair or reddish hair
  2. Blanco Spain #33 US #847: White, for someone with very fair hair or skin
  3. Delgado Spain #34 US #227: Thin or slender, a nickname for a slim person
  4. Bravo Spain #98 US #803: Fierce or brave, a nickname for a bold person
  5. Leal US #955: Loyal, for a faithful person
  6. Cortés Spain #42 US #668: Courteous or well-mannered, from corte, the royal court
  7. Crespo Spain #94 US #1,931: Curly-haired, from Latin crispus
  8. Lozano Spain #48 US #576: Proud, lively or handsome
  9. Franco US #458: Free, for a free man rather than a serf
  10. Rico US #1,350: Rich or powerful, a nickname for a wealthy man
  11. Bueno US #2,029: Good, a nickname for a kind person
  12. Pardo US #3,240: Brownish gray, for hair or clothing color
  13. Cano Spain #52 US #920: Gray-haired, from Latin canus, white
  14. Prieto Spain #56 US #1,791: Dark, for someone with very dark hair
  15. Lobo: Wolf, a nickname for a fierce or cunning man
  16. Cordero US #1,109: Lamb, for a gentle person or a shepherd
  17. Valiente: Brave, for a courageous person
  18. Cabello: Hair, a nickname for someone with a thick head of it

Basque surnames

Basque surnames usually describe the family home: its position, its trees or the water beside it. Many families now use Basque spelling, with tx and k. In Basque, z sounds like s.

  1. Etxeberria: New house, from etxe and berri; say eh-cheh-BEH-rree-ah
  2. Goikoetxea: The upper house; say goy-koh-EH-cheh-ah
  3. Bengoetxea: The lower house; say ben-goh-EH-cheh-ah
  4. Etxegarai: The high house; say eh-cheh-gah-RYE
  5. Zubizarreta: Place of the old bridge; say soo-bee-sah-RREH-tah
  6. Iturriaga: Place of springs, from iturri, spring
  7. Mendizabal: Broad mountain, from mendi, mountain, and zabal, wide
  8. Arizmendi: Oak mountain, from haritz, oak, and mendi, mountain
  9. Gorostiza: Holly grove, from gorosti, holly
  10. Larrañaga: Place of threshing floors, from larrain
  11. Elizalde: Beside the church, from eliza, church
  12. Arrieta: Stony place, from harri, stone
  13. Urkiza: Birch grove, from urki, birch
  14. Ugalde: By the water, from ur, water, and alde, side
  15. Olaetxea: The forge house, from ola, ironworks
  16. Agirre: An open or exposed place, such as a clearing
  17. Ezquerra: Left-handed, from Basque ezker, left

Catalan surnames

From Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. Many name a feature of the land around the family farm.

  1. Puig: Hill or peak; say POOTCH
  2. Pujol: Little hill, a pet form of puig; say poo-ZHOL
  3. Vidal Spain #62 US #1,877: From a medieval first name, Latin vitalis, full of life
  4. Ferrer Spain #86 US #1,972: Blacksmith, from ferro, iron
  5. Serra: Mountain ridge or saw-toothed range
  6. Roca: Rock, for someone living by a crag
  7. Font: Spring or fountain, for someone living by one
  8. Riera: Seasonal stream, for a family living beside one
  9. Bosch US #4,758: Wood or forest; say BOSK
  10. Prat: Meadow, for someone living by one
  11. Vila: Village or farming estate
  12. Mas: Farmhouse, the traditional Catalan country home
  13. Coll: Mountain pass, for a family living near one
  14. Pons: From the Latin first name Pontius
  15. Sabater: Shoemaker, from Catalan sabata, shoe
  16. Moliner: Miller, the one who ran the mill
  17. Casals: Farmsteads or country houses
  18. Planas: Plains, for a family from flat country
  19. Rius: Rivers, for a family living near running water

Galician surnames

From Galicia in the green northwest, where surnames often name trees, hills, hill forts and farm buildings.

  1. Castro Spain #32 US #130: Old hill fort, from Latin castrum; Galicia has hundreds
  2. Otero US #1,617: Small hill or rise with a view
  3. Souto: Grove, often of chestnut trees
  4. Seoane: Saint John, from Galician San Xoán; say seh-oh-AH-neh
  5. Carballo: Oak tree, a common Galician place name
  6. Ferreiro: Blacksmith, the Galician form of herrero
  7. Freire: Friar or monk, from Latin frater, brother
  8. Rivas Spain #99 US #401: Riverbanks, for a family living on one
  9. Pazos: Manor houses, from pazo, a Galician country estate
  10. Fraga: Galician for a thick native woodland
  11. Barreiro: Clay pit or muddy ground, from barro, clay
  12. Outeiro: Hill or high ground, the Galician form of otero
  13. Loureiro: Laurel tree, for a family living by one
  14. Vilar: Hamlet or small farming settlement
  15. Lago: Lake or pool, for a family living beside one
  16. Figueroa US #310: Place of fig trees, from Galician figueira, fig tree

How to pick the right name

Use two surnames for realism

A Spanish character usually has two surnames, like Lucía Navarro Etxeberria. Pair a common surname with a regional one to hint at the family's roots.

Match the region

Basque names point to the north coast, Catalan names to the northeast and the Mediterranean, and Galician names to the green northwest. The -ez patronymics fit anywhere in Spain or Latin America.

Keep the accent marks

Accents are part of the correct spelling and show where the stress falls, as in Martínez and Peláez. Many families in the US dropped them, which is also authentic for an American character.

Read the meaning

A surname like Herrero (blacksmith) or Romero (pilgrim) quietly says something about a character's ancestors. Use the notes to pick one that fits the story.

Spanish last names: 170 ideas from Nomezo

Save this list for later

Pin it to a naming board, or tap the heart next to any name to keep it in your favorites on this device.

Save to PinterestOpen favorites

Where Spanish surnames come from

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 22, 2026 · How we research names

Spanish surnames settled into fixed family names in the Middle Ages, and nearly all come from four sources: a father's first name, a place, a trade or a nickname. Spain also has three regional surname traditions with their own languages: Basque, Catalan and Galician. Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas share most of these names, alongside Indigenous surnames such as Quispe in Peru. A surname tells you where a name began, not where a family lives today.

Kinds of Spanish surnames on this page
KindWhere it comes fromOn this page
PatronymicsFrom a father's first name: Rodríguez, son of Rodrigo. The largest group in Spain's top 20.18
PlacesFrom a town, kingdom or a feature of the land: Navarro, Toledo, Del Río.25
TradesFrom a medieval job: Herrero (blacksmith), Pastor (shepherd).20
NicknamesFrom looks or character: Rubio (blond), Delgado (thin), Bravo (fierce).18
BasqueIn Euskara, usually naming the family house and its setting: Etxeberria, new house.17
CatalanFrom Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearics, often a feature of the farm's land: Puig, hill.19
GalicianFrom the northwest, naming trees, hills and hill forts: Castro, Carballo.16

Spain's 100 most common surnames (INE, 2025)

On 1 January 2025, 1,446,937 of Spain's 49,128,297 residents had García as their first surname, about one in 34. The top eight, all patronymics apart from García, each belong to more than three-quarters of a million people. Because every Spaniard has two surnames, INE counts each name as a first surname, a second surname, and both.

Top 20 surnames as first, second and both surnames
RankSurnameFirst surnameSecond surnameBoth
1García1,446,9371,468,82474,765
2Rodríguez939,214950,06741,281
3González930,137939,51239,476
4Fernández896,725908,38848,147
5López871,380880,42832,802
6Martínez832,396840,39936,676
7Sánchez818,287828,60932,605
8Pérez779,313794,27725,085
9Gómez496,272500,02813,122
10Martín475,139473,22019,346
11Jiménez399,394400,33521,940
12Hernández380,919385,26415,194
13Ruiz366,644371,0178,102
14Díaz350,246351,0618,174
15Moreno324,435326,7749,987
16Muñoz284,951285,6166,449
17Álvarez281,150280,6238,850
18Romero227,391227,8814,454
19Gutiérrez199,928201,8753,682
20Alonso189,942188,0274,239
  1. 21Torres 180,723
  2. 22Navarro 176,842
  3. 23Domínguez 156,940
  4. 24Ramírez 156,686
  5. 25Ramos 149,677
  6. 26Vázquez 144,451
  7. 27Gil 139,109
  8. 28Serrano 129,941
  9. 29Morales 127,848
  10. 30Molina 125,316
  11. 31Suárez 124,242
  12. 32Castro 123,156
  13. 33Blanco 121,880
  14. 34Delgado 119,872
  15. 35Ortega 118,777
  16. 36Ortiz 114,447
  17. 37Marín 108,047
  18. 38Rubio 102,390
  19. 39Medina 95,823
  20. 40Núñez 94,702
  21. 41Castillo 94,139
  22. 42Cortés 89,974
  23. 43Sanz 88,939
  24. 44Iglesias 86,084
  25. 45Santos 85,287
  26. 46Garrido 84,187
  27. 47Guerrero 82,949
  28. 48Lozano 80,558
  29. 49Flores 79,715
  30. 50Cruz 78,630
  31. 51Herrera 77,374
  32. 52Cano 77,356
  33. 53Méndez 77,195
  34. 54Peña 74,072
  35. 55León 73,175
  36. 56Prieto 72,655
  37. 57Cabrera 72,206
  38. 58Márquez 72,097
  39. 59Reyes 71,297
  40. 60Gallego 68,987
  41. 61Campos 67,952
  42. 62Vidal 67,572
  43. 63Calvo 67,348
  44. 64Vega 66,681
  45. 65Fuentes 65,327
  46. 66Aguilar 64,089
  47. 67Vargas 63,921
  48. 68Carrasco 63,091
  49. 69Caballero 61,369
  50. 70Nieto 60,185
  51. 71Díez 59,840
  52. 72Rojas 59,298
  53. 73Santana 58,815
  54. 74Giménez 57,495
  55. 75Benítez 56,956
  56. 76Arias 56,875
  57. 77Hidalgo 56,836
  58. 78Montero 56,711
  59. 79Santiago 55,826
  60. 80Pascual 55,673
  61. 81Durán 55,665
  62. 82Mora 55,638
  63. 83Herrero 55,454
  64. 84Lorenzo 55,302
  65. 85Ibáñez 53,676
  66. 86Ferrer 53,051
  67. 87Carmona 52,749
  68. 88Soto 51,530
  69. 89Vicente 50,880
  70. 90Rivera 49,483
  71. 91Silva 48,968
  72. 92Román 48,922
  73. 93Parra 48,813
  74. 94Crespo 48,466
  75. 95Mendoza 47,342
  76. 96Velasco 47,036
  77. 97Pastor 46,323
  78. 98Bravo 46,300
  79. 99Rivas 45,776
  80. 100Moya 45,483

Source: INE, most frequent surnames of residents, 1 January 2025. INE prints surnames without accents and counts compound ones such as De la Fuente as their own entry. Search any surname, by province too, with the INE surname search. Same surname twice is common: García García (74,765), Fernández Fernández (48,147), Rodríguez Rodríguez (41,281), González González (39,476), Martínez Martínez (36,676).

The most common surname in each province

García leads 35 of Spain's 52 provinces. The exceptions trace old regional patterns: Fernández in Asturias, León and Cantabria, Rodríguez in Galicia's Pontevedra and Ourense and in Las Palmas, Martínez in Murcia and La Rioja, and Mohamed in the North African cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

Provinces where García is not the most common first surname
SurnameMost common first surname in
FernándezAsturias, León, Cantabria
MartínezMurcia, La Rioja, Cuenca
RodríguezLas Palmas, Pontevedra, Ourense, Huelva
GonzálezSanta Cruz de Tenerife
LópezLugo
SánchezSalamanca, Cáceres
MartínÁvila
MohamedCeuta, Melilla

INE, residents on 1 January 2025, by province of residence.

How the two-surname system works

Each parent passes on their first surname, so a child of Juan García López and María Pérez Ruiz is García Pérez. The second surnames, López and Ruiz, drop off in the next generation. Try it with your own family below.

Two-surname builder

Traditional order
García Pérez
Each parent passes on their first surname, the father's first.
Mother's surname first
Pérez García
Possible in Spain since 2000, and simply the parents' choice since 2017. Siblings share one order.
The mother after marriage
Still Pérez Ruiz: in Spain marriage does not change anyone's surnames.

  • Parents choose the order

    Since 30 June 2017, parents agree on the order of their first surnames when they register a birth. If they disagree or leave it blank, the registrar gives them three days and then decides in the child's best interest. The order chosen for the first child applies to every later child of the same parents.

    Ley 20/2011 del Registro Civil, art. 49.2 (BOE)

  • The mother's surname first, since 2000

    Ley 40/1999, in force from 6 February 2000, first let parents agree to put the mother's surname first. Without that agreement the father's surname came first, which is why most adults today carry his first.

    Ley 40/1999 (BOE)

  • Adults can swap their surnames

    Once they come of age, anyone can ask the Civil Registry to reverse the order of their two surnames. The same article lets people join their surnames with y, or i in Catalan, as in Ramón y Cajal.

    Código Civil, art. 109, and Ley 20/2011, art. 53 (BOE)

  • Regional spellings are official

    A surname can be registered in the spelling of any official language that matches the family's origin or home, so a family registered as Echeverría can become Etxeberria. This is one reason the same family can appear under two spellings.

    Ley 20/2011, art. 53.4 (BOE)

  • Marriage changes nobody's surname

    Spanish law has no surname change on marriage: the marriage record uses each spouse's surnames from their birth certificate. A woman named María Pérez Ruiz stays María Pérez Ruiz. Señora de García is a social form with no legal effect.

    Spanish Foreign Ministry, consular note on surnames

  • Elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world

    Most of Latin America uses the same father-then-mother pattern. In Argentina one surname, the father's, is the legal norm, though many people use both. Some married women add de and their husband's surname, as in Eva Duarte de Perón; Peru's Civil Code makes this a right, not a duty.

    Peru, Código Civil art. 24

Surname endings and what they tell you

Spanish surname endings and parts
Ending or partMeaningExamples
-ez, -az, -iz, -ozProbably son of: a Castilian patronymic from a father's first name. Linguists still debate where the ending itself comes from, and not every -ez is a patronymic: Chávez comes from Chaves, a town in Portugal.Rodríguez (Rodrigo), Fernández (Fernando), Díaz (Diego), Ruiz (Ruy), Muñoz (Muño)
-esThe Portuguese and Galician match for -ez.Fernandes, Lopes, Nunes
A first name, unchangedA father's first name used as the surname with no ending at all.Martín, Alonso, Lorenzo, Vicente, Pascual, Román
-ero, -eraA trade: the person who made or worked with something.Herrero (blacksmith), Zapatero (shoemaker), Molinero (miller), Carretero (carter)
-eiro, -eiraGalician, from Latin -arius: a trade, or a place full of one kind of tree.Ferreiro (blacksmith), Pereira (pear tree), Loureiro (laurel)
de, del, de laOf or from: the place or landmark the family lived by.De la Fuente (the spring), Del Río (the river), De la Cruz (the cross)
etxe-, -etxeaBasque for house: many Basque surnames name the family farmhouse.Etxeberria (new house), Goikoetxea (upper house), Olaetxea (forge house)
-aga, -etaBasque endings meaning place of, or a place with plenty of something.Iturriaga (place of the spring), Arrieta (stony place), Larrañaga
mendi, zubi, iturri, zabalBasque landscape words: mountain, bridge, spring, wide.Mendizabal, Zubizarreta, Iturriaga
puig, mas, font, vila, coll, pratCatalan land words: hill, farmhouse, spring, town, mountain pass, meadow.Puig, Mas, Font, Vila, Coll, Prat
-ol, -et, -ellCatalan endings meaning little.Pujol (little hill, from puig)
A plain describing wordA nickname for looks or character that became the family name.Rubio (blond), Delgado (thin), Calvo (bald), Moreno (dark-haired)

The most common surnames across the Americas

The same patronymics lead almost everywhere Spanish is spoken, but the order changes: Hernández tops Mexico, González leads Argentina and Chile, and Quispe, a Quechua surname, leads Peru. In the US, six Spanish surnames are in the top 13.

Most common surnames by country
CountryMost common surnamesYear and source
MexicoHernández, García, Martínez, López, GonzálezINE Mexico voter roll, 2021, as reported by Publimetro
ArgentinaGonzález, Rodríguez, GómezRENAPER, people with a national ID, December 2021
ColombiaRodríguez, Martínez, GonzálezRegistraduría, 2019, as reported by Noticias Caracol
ChileGonzález, Muñoz, RojasRegistro Civil, registrations 2014 to 2023, as reported by Pauta
PeruQuispe, Flores, SánchezRENIEC, 2023, as reported by Líbero (Quispe is Quechua)
United StatesGarcia (#6), Rodriguez (#8), Martinez (#10), Hernandez (#11), Lopez (#12), Gonzalez (#13)US Census Bureau, 2020 Census surnames (2026)

Accents, spellings and family research

García and Garcia are the same surname: Spanish writes the accent, and many records, keyboards and US forms drop it. Older records also spell sounds differently, and Basque surnames have a modern Basque spelling and an older Spanish one. Search every form.

Spelling variants to search
SurnameAlso written, or the same name in another language
GarcíaGarcia, the usual form in US and many older records
JiménezGiménez, Ximénez, Jimenes. INE counts Jiménez (#11) and Giménez (#74) as separate surnames
VázquezVásquez, the usual form in much of Latin America; Vasquez, Vazquez
NúñezNunez, Nuñez; Nunes in Portuguese and Galician
IbáñezYbáñez, Ibañez, Ybanez
EtxeberriaEcheverría, Echevarría, Echeberria; Etcheverry in the French Basque Country
AgirreAguirre, the Spanish spelling of the same Basque name
GoikoetxeaGoicoechea, Goicoetxea
HerreroFerrer in Catalan, Ferreiro in Galician, Ferreira in Portuguese: the same trade, blacksmith
BoschBosc, the modern Catalan spelling of the word for wood; Bosque in Castilian
  1. Start from the full name with both surnames. The second surname is the mother's family, so each record points to two lines, not one.
  2. Spain's Civil Registry has recorded births, marriages and deaths since 1 January 1871. Ask the Registro Civil of the town where the event happened.
  3. Before 1871, use Catholic parish books of baptisms, marriages and burials. The Council of Trent made them compulsory in 1563; most are now in diocesan archives, and many are searchable on FamilySearch.
  4. Search every spelling: with and without accents, b and v, j, g and x, y and i, z and s, and the Basque, Catalan or Galician form beside the Castilian one.
  5. Look for married women under their own birth surnames in Spanish records. In some Latin American records a woman may also appear as de plus her husband's surname.
  6. A shared surname does not prove a shared family, or Sephardic Jewish ancestry: most surnames arose many times in many places, and conversos took ordinary Christian surnames.

Sources and how we checked

Counts come from official registers, with the date beside each one. Meanings come from published surname dictionaries; where a surname's origin is debated, as with García, the note says so rather than pick one story.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Spanish last names?

García is the most common surname in Spain, carried as a first surname by more than 1.4 million residents. Rodríguez, González, Fernández and López follow, and Ortega, Marín, Sanz and Garrido are all in Spain's top 50, according to the INE.

Why do Spanish people have two last names?

Spanish custom gives each child two surnames: the father's first surname, then the mother's first surname. Since 2000 parents in Spain have been able to put the mother's surname first, and women keep their own surnames after marriage.

What does -ez mean in Spanish last names?

The -ez ending means son of. Rodríguez is son of Rodrigo, Martínez is son of Martín and Fernández is son of Fernando.

How do you say last name in Spanish?

Last name in Spanish is apellido. Most people have two: the primer apellido, usually the father's, and the segundo apellido, usually the mother's.

How do you pronounce the z in Spanish surnames?

In Latin America z sounds like s, so Pérez is PEH-res. In most of Spain, z and a c before e or i sound like the th in think, so Pérez is PEH-reth.

What is the most common surname in Spain?

García. On 1 January 2025, 1,446,937 residents of Spain had it as their first surname and 1,468,824 as their second, according to the INE. It leads in 35 of Spain's 52 provinces.

Can the mother's surname go first in Spain?

Yes. Since 2000 parents could agree to it, and since 30 June 2017 the order is simply their choice when they register the birth. If they cannot agree, the registrar decides. All children of the same parents share the order chosen for the first.

Do Spanish women change their surname when they marry?

No. Spanish law has no surname change on marriage, so a woman keeps both of her surnames for life. Children take one surname from each parent.

Is García Spanish or Basque?

García began as a medieval first name in northern Spain, probably among Basque speakers in Navarre, and is now the most common Spanish surname. Its meaning is unknown: one theory links it to the Basque word hartz, bear, but none is proven.

Are Etxeberria and Echeverría the same surname?

Yes. Etxeberria is the Basque spelling and Echeverría the older Spanish spelling of the same name, meaning new house. Spanish law lets a family register the Basque spelling, so search both.

Does a Spanish surname mean Jewish ancestry?

Not on its own. Jews who converted in medieval Spain took the same Christian surnames as everyone else, so no surname proves Sephardic ancestry. Spain's own nationality rules treat a surname as one piece of evidence at most.

More last names and generators

See every page in Last Names →